2014 Russian Grand Prix has its stamp

SOCHI, October 12. /TASS/. A ceremony of cancelling a stamp devoted to the 2014 Russian Grand Prix was organised in Sochi. The stamp depicts a racing car on the background of the Iceberg sports stadium, which the track in Sochi passes.

The total of 320,000 stamps has been produced. A special collection also includes mail envelopes and postal cards, which are available on sale at post offices. The Post of Russia says they used a special grill for cancelling: it puts the date - 12.10.2014 - and a small drawing of F1 racing car. Within first hours of operation, post offices say, hundreds of stamps and envelopes were sold out. Visitors are sending letters to their families and friends.

“I have bought a ticket to the race so that also to participate in the stamp cancelling. An envelope with special cancelling has bigger value for collectors. Before the race begins, I hope to send 30 letters to colleagues, and after the race I shall come to the post office again,” deputy chairman of the International Union of Collectors Alexander Shchepotyev told TASS.

Grand Prix post will be working to the end of all sports and cultural events of Formula 1 in Sochi. Guests and visitors will be able to use exclusive services from the Post of Russia: to send a retro letter written with a feather on old-looking paper and sealed with wax, or to buy souvenir photo-stamps with selfies. Those services were offered for the first time as Sochi hosted the Winter Olympic Games earlier this year.